Are You Still Burning Calories After Your Workout?

Most workout enthusiasts have heard that after they finish their 60-minute boot camp, their bodies will continue to burn additional calories for hours afterward (compared to the regular rate of daily calorie burn that happens whether you exercise or not).

The phenomenon is commonly referred to as “afterburn,” and it’s a nice incentive for feeling proud that you got your butt out of bed and prioritized working out.

But why is your body burning excess calories if you’re not breaking a sweat? And what kinds of workouts deliver the greatest afterburn effect? There are differing opinions out there, and the research is far from set in stone. “We have a long way to go before we understand this, and there are times when it’s almost—for me, from a scientific standpoint—it’s almost overwhelming,” one lead researcher and professor in the field told BuiltLean.com.

We sorted through the evidence to bring you a few things you should know...